I pulled up to the Scorpion compound and climbed from my bike, my brothers right on my heels. We used the strength of our Reapers to literally rip the automatic gate from its hinges as it was yanked with force and rattled inside the track. I stared at the face of the man who had taken everyone I loved away and left me alone for the last six years. He’d ripped Willow and Elrik out of my life and tormented me repeatedly. He didn’t get to take my future too.
As I met the glimmer of hope in Nylah’s eyes, I knew she was all of that and more.
The Russian sneered, his head ticking in our direction. “Svoloch’,” he spat. “You afraid of Solonik?” He tightened his grip around Nylah, and she gasped as he turned his head and licked the side of her face. “She will make good supply. Tight pussy for Solonik and friends to fuck.”
My Reaper was on him so fast he didn’t have time to blink. I was pretty sure he thought I wouldn’t react that fast since he had a gun pointed to her temple but in my Reaper form, I was not only lethal but faster than his mortal body could move. Nylah was pulled into my embrace and then shoved toward Exorcist who caught her as I knocked the gun out of Solonik’s hand.
He kept shouting and threatening us in Russian as more of his men came from behind the house and scurried like cockroaches from the front doors and nearby windows. We didn’t notice at the time that there weren’t any BSMC patches on any of the bodies. Our Reapers launched into attack mode and we were soon swinging fists, knocking out our prey and subduing them one by one until every last one of these Russian assholes was tied up in front of us.
Solonik sported a black eye and busted lip as Diablo held onto him. We had something special planned for them all. Ex and Bodie walked inside the compound and returned with Trixie. She was unconscious, needle marks in her veins. Shit. He probably tried to kill her by making her overdose.
Nylah was yelling for her sister as Ex placed her on the ground and Nylah felt for a pulse. She bit her lip, tears slipping down her cheeks. “She needs a hospital, Rael.”
I nodded to Bodie. “Call Shadow and have him send a cage.”
“I’m gonna kill him,” I heard Nylah yell as she ran for Solonik and kicked him in the balls. He grunted, laughing as he fell to the ground.
Pulling her away, I pressed my lips to her cheek and kissed her soft skin before whispering in her ear, “He’s gonna pay, my sweet. I promise.”
“I want him to suffer.” Her pleading gaze met mine. “For every girl he’s harmed, I want him to suffer ten times worse.”
I cupped her cheek and ran my thumb over her bottom lip. “What you’re about to see will probably scare the shit out of you. It’s what we are,” I explained. “It’s who I am.”
She nodded, not quite fully understanding. She would when we were finished.
Solonik tried to be brave and spouted off at the mouth.
“Idi v zhopu.” I knew that one. Go to hell.
“I’m sending you, motherfucker,” I assured him. “The devil wants your soul.”
My brothers approached as we moved as one and shoved Solonik to the side. Each of stood in front of our prey, opening our fists as a swirling wind began to blow all around, the air scorching hot and filled with lingering flames that flickered up and down our arms, appearing out of nowhere. Nylah made a strange sound, but I couldn’t pause to watch her reaction.
I hoped she was still here once I was done.
Lifting up through the dead and unconscious bodies of the Russians, a filmy version of their souls appeared. Each mortal man made a noise of pure terror as we called to their spirit forms and made them rise. Floating, each one was frightened as they stared at our Reapers. Our power was absolute.
None escaped the Reaper’s fate . . . or his blade.
“Harvest time, brothers,” I announced.
The souls of these men cried out
in silent pain. Their expressions of agony and torture brought pure satisfaction. In our hands, each Royal Bastard held a special scythe that shimmered in the light, not quite real but not only a mirage. We were going to cut these evil spirits down and their souls would be gone forever.
With a single swipe, each Russian was sliced apart. The filmy, gossamer texture of their soul was torn into shreds until nothing of the men remained. Their bodies only shells, they began to shrivel and rapidly decay as the flesh disappeared and the bones settled onto the dirt in macabre piles.
I spun around, not daring to look at Nylah just yet but oddly curious at her silence. She was here. I could sense her soul in this form and see the radiant light that surrounded her sweet spirit. These men we harvested had nothing. No aura. No light. Most had been shrouded in dark shadow.
The perfect meal in Hell.
All that remained was Solonik.
His dark eyes held a fear that made my Reaper chuckle in anticipation of his gruesome death. The sound must have been audible because Solonik tried to run and tripped, falling down as he spun around on his back and tried to scramble back to his feet. He was far too terrified.
Tossing our sickles to the ground, we each released a primitive war cry and lunged forward, ripping and tearing into not only his human flesh, but his dark spirit with ferocious and delighted growls. His soul ended up in hundreds of pieces, drifting around in the air like someone had broken apart a huge ebony rock splashed with tainted glitter. The chunks floated in front of us as his physical body was reduced to clumps of lumpy muscle and bone. It was grotesque and bloody.
Beautiful.